This is what the Aztecs promised

SAN DIEGO -- At the start of the season, San Diego State men's
basketball fans thought the Aztecs should be one of the nation's
top 25 teams.

As with most Aztecs sports teams, expectation did not have a
friendly handshake with reality.

The Aztecs started the season looking like the real deal,
winning eight straight games. But that was dulled by a horrible
game at home against nationally-ranked Arizona. Two losses to open
the Mountain West Conference and three other conference setbacks
along the way had many of us thinking the Aztecs were
overrated.

But they were just fooling us.

Forget about the start of the year, they say, it is how you
finish that really matters.

San Diego State is doing what all good teams do: It is getting
better as the season progresses.

The men of Montezuma have won seven of their past eight games
and have defeated their last two nationally-ranked opponents -- No.
21 Brigham Young on Saturday and then-No. 15 Air Force on Feb. 6.
It's the first time the Aztecs won consecutive games against
nationally-ranked opponents since 1988.

In its seven-win span, San Diego State defeated three team
ranked among the top 25 in last week's Ratings Percentage
Index.

The RPI is a formula the NCAA tournament selection committee
weighs heavily in determining the 65-team field. It is based on a
number of statistical elements, among them team winning percentage,
opponents' winning percentage and results of a team's last 10
games.

A high RPI (above 60) usually prevents a team from gaining an
at-large berth to the NCAA tournament.

Aztecs wins against Nevada-Las Vegas (RPI ranking 12 as of last
week), Air Force (13) and, most recently, BYU (21) should make the
rest of the nation sit up and take notice.

Those wins have also helped San Diego State consistently lower
its RPI over the past month. The Aztecs began last week at No. 62
and have since defeated New Mexico and BYU, victories that should
continue their ascent when the new RPI rankings are released
today.

Their 86-74 victory over BYU before a screaming crowd of more
than 12,000 makes me think the Aztecs are ready to live up to their
preseason billing.

It was one of the best games any Aztec team has ever played.
They dominated the first 20 minutes and were never really in
trouble.

If the Cougars are a top 25 team, where does that put San Diego
State, which has 20 wins to go with eight losses? I'll tell you
where it puts them. Right where those loyal San Diego State fans
expected at the start of the season, as one of the nation's elite
teams.

It just took them awhile to get there.

In explaining why the Aztecs are playing so much better now than
at the start of the season, senior forward Mohamed Abukar said, "We
hadn't hit our flow as a team. We were not consistent on offense or
defense. Some teams go through this. Some teams peak late, and I
think that is what we are doing."